Good Girl
by edwardsbellamy
Summary: Bella is new in town. As the minister's daughter, she does her best to stay out of trouble, but she is drawn to bad boy Edward Cullen. Will she do the right thing or follow her heart?
1. Chapter 1

I couldn't believe it when my mother told me who she was marrying. My new stepfather was the last man on earth that I would expect my crazy mother to end up with. Mom had grown up feeling like the odd man out in Forks, Washington. Her zany, outgoing personality wasn't a good fit for the small, traditional town. When her high school sweetheart knocked her up, they got married and had me and she tried to settle into life as a small-town cop's wife. My dad was and always will be very set in his ways and not very communicative. It wasn't very long before she couldn't handle it anymore and she took me and left. She followed her many passions to many different places. We were living in Pheonix when I was fourteen and Mom's current boyfriend started taking us to church with him. My formerly anti-establishment mother got really involved with the Methodist church. Through church connections, she heard of a church in Seattle that needed a new secretary and decided to move us there so I could be closer to my dad.

We moved to Seattle when I was fifteen. This move seemed more permanent than all of the others and I thought my mom might finally be ready to settle in one place. I was able to visit my dad one weekend every month instead of once or twice a year. One weekend while I was staying with my dad, my mom met the "love of her life" at a church convention and now we were moving again, this time to Port Angeles, a town not a whole lot bigger than Forks and only an hour from the place that my mom had run from as if her ass was on fire. Not only that, but my new stepfather was a Methodist preacher. That's right, I was now the proverbial preacher's daughter.

John Stanley had been married twice before he married my mother and both times had been widowed. Not very good odds, if you asked me. Each marriage had produced a daughter, so I also gained two new stepsisters. It remained to be seen whether they were evil or not. Jessica was my age and she seemed bubbly and very nice. Unlike me, she was _very _involved in her church. She was the leader of the youth group, taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and ran a bible study group that met twice a week. Rosalie was the exact opposite of her sister and intimidated the hell out of me. Where Jessica was girl-next-door pretty, Rosalie was a knock-out, with perfect golden curls, wide blue eyes and a figure models would kill for. She was outgoing and seemed to say everything that was on her mind without censoring herself. Ever. She wasn't very excited about getting a new stepmother and she let my mom know it. As for me, she seemed to be reserving judgment and observing me. She made me incredibly nervous, but I also envied her beauty and confidence.

Mom and John had gotten married in July and we had been living in Port Angeles for two weeks before school started. Moving to a new place and starting a new school didn't really bother me because I had done it so many times before. I had learned not to get too attached to people and places because we had moved around so much. I usually kept to myself and buried my nose in a book. I shared a room with Jessica. Her half of the room was plastered with posters of Christian rock bands and her reaction to my posters of obscure bands wasn't very positive, but she wouldn't say anything rude to anyone. On the first day of school, Rosalie drove all three of us in the red BMW her deceased mother's parents had bought her for her sixteenth birthday. Rosalie's maternal grandparents were quite wealthy, and from what I had observed, they gave their only granddaughter just about anything she wanted. Rosalie was silent the entire ride to school while Jessica chattered on about her favorite teachers and the activities she was involved in. When we arrived in the parking lot, Rosalie jumped out of the car and rolled her eyes as she told us to meet her back here at the end of the day. "Same rules as last year, Jess. You don't know me, I don't know you." With that, she sauntered away. I watched her cross the parking lot and throw her arms around what had to be the biggest man I had ever seen. He was standing next to the biggest Jeep I had ever seen. I turned to Jessica and raised my eyebrows questioningly.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "That's her boyfriend, Emmett Cullen. Dad has told her a million times not to see him but she doesn't listen. She never listens! He grounds her and she sneaks out to meet Emmett and the rest of her _friends_."

"Why doesn't your dad like Emmett?" I asked.

"He and his brother have the worst reputation, Bella! You need to stay away from the Cullens!" Jessica's eyes were wide and she spat her words like they left a bad taste in her mouth.

"What's wrong with them?"

"They were both adopted by their parents a few years ago. They come from really bad families. They smoke and drink on school property and they've been suspended. I've heard that the police have been called out to some of their parties. And they've both been _arrested_!" Jessica sounded scandalized."

"What were they arrested for?"

Jessica's eyes got even bigger. "It doesn't matter, Bella. You just need to steer clear of them. Stick with me and I'll make sure you meet the right people."

I shrugged. It didn't really matter to me whether I fit in here or not. Mom had assured me that this would be our last and final move but I didn't put a whole lot of faith in that. Even if we did stay here, I was a junior and would be off to college soon. I preferred to blend in and draw as little attention to myself as possible. As Jessica and I made our way into the building, I heard the rumble of a motorcycle in the parking lot. I tried to get a look at its owner, but Jessica was dragging me and freaking out about being late to class.

Jessica was a sophomore so we didn't have any classes together. All morning, I kept my head down and tried to blend in. Luckily, Port Angeles High was just big enough that I didn't stand out that much. A couple of my teachers called my name and introduced me as a new student. When they did this, I gave a small wave of acknowledgment, then tried to sink down in my seat so they didn't call me up to the front of the room or try to get me to answer any questions.

The morning flew by and none of my classes seemed hard. A few of them covered material that I had already learned in Pheonix and Seattle. Port Angeles was a little behind the times. I followed the crowd into the lunchroom and grabbed some juice and an apple. I was hoping to find a quiet corner to sit and read, but Jessica was waving and yelling at me from across the cafeteria. I ducked my head as I made my way over to her table. I saw Rosalie sitting next to her bohemoth boyfriend giving Jessica a disgusted look. Our eyes met briefly then she turned back to the people at her table, all of whom were incredibly good-looking and well-dressed. Of course perfect Rosalie would have perfect friends.

Jessica introduced me to the people at her table, all of whom were members of her youth group. Mike and Tyler were athletes and kept trying to one-up each other. Lauren seemed a little bitchy, barely even glancing at me. Of all the people, I thought maybe Angela and I could be real friends. Her father was the youth minister at Jessica's church and she was involved, but she didn't go on and on about it. In fact, she didn't say much at all, but when she did speak, it was always intelligent. I was excited when she told me she had been in my Calculus class earlier that day. At least there would be one familiar face the next day.

As I was throwing my trash away, I couldn't help looking at Rosalie's table again. One boy in particular caught my eye because of his unusual hair. It was an interesting mix of red and brown, almost the color of a penny and it stood on end as if he'd been involved in some sort of vigorous activity. Due to my staring, I missed the fact that the person I was walking behind was no longer walking, bumping into her and sending her tray flying with a huge crash. Not the first accident I've caused and definitely won't be the last. I apologized profusely to the girl and helped her collect the scattered items, then I booked it out of the cafeteria before I could draw any more attention to myself.

I was early to Biology, so I chose a seat in the back of the room and pulled out my book, ignoring everyone as the rest of the room filled up. Finally the bell rang and the teacher passed out the syllabus, droning on about things I had already learned freshman year in Pheonix. I was wondering if I could get away with hiding my book under the table when the door to the classroom flew open and someone sauntered in.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Cullen." Mr. Banner said dryly. I looked up to see if this was Rosalie's boyfriend. It wasn't. It was the guy with the wild hair I had been studying at lunch. "I see we're already establishing a bad pattern. Let's not be late again," the teacher sounded like this wasn't the first time he'd had this conversation with this particular person.

"It takes me a while to get used to being back in school, Mr. Banner. I forgot where everything is." His voice was smooth and velvety.

Mr. Banner rolled his eyes. "Just find a seat, Edward."

Glancing around the room, I realized every seat was taken but the one next to me. As Edward drew closer to me I could see more clearly just how good-looking he was. He was dressed like he had just stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine, maybe the biker edition, given the leather jacket, scuffed boots and holes in his jeans. I spent the entire class period hiding behind the curtain of my hair and glancing at him occasionally. It really didn't matter because he didn't look at me even once. When class was over he bolted out of his seat and practically ran out of the room without a backward glance. I walked much more slowly, trying to analyze the fluttering feeling he had caused in my stomach. I had never gotten that way around a boy before and I didn't think I liked it.

I was dreading my next class, Gym. Klutzy people should be excluded from all physical activity for the general health and safety of everyone around them. The locker room was, as always, almost as bad as Gym itself. I kept my eyes glued to the floor and changed as quickly as possible. For the first day, Coach Clapp went over the syllabus and organized a casual game of wiffle ball. My team was batting first and I stood at the end of the line. I tried to ease my way backward as people rejoined the line, but eventually I was forced to bat. As I swung, the bat flew out of my hands and whacked the person behind me in line. I tried to apologize to the petite, spiky-haired girl, but she raised a hand in front of my face. "Hold on for a second." She turned to face the teacher. "Coach, I'm feeling dizzy and my head hurts! I need an ice pack but I don't think I can make it to the nurse by myself. Can she take me?" She pointed at me.

Coach Clapp grunted and waved us on our way. The girl put her arm around my waist and seemed to wobble on her feet as we made our way to the door. I put my own arm around her in an awkward attempt to steady her. The second the door closed behind us, she dropped her arm and stood up straight, walking perfectly normally. She grinned at me. "Thanks for that!"

I frowned. "Are you actually thanking me for hitting you?"

"Of course. It's the perfect excuse to get out of class. I used the period excuse one too many times last year and Coach was starting to get suspicious. Maybe you can help me out with a few more injuries this year."

Still a little stunned, I replied, "If you're anywhere near me during Gym, it's almost guaranteed that you'll get hurt whether I mean to or not."

She bounced on her toes. "Awesome! You're my new Gym buddy. I'm Alice." She stuck out her hand.

"Bella." I shook her hand. She had a ridiculously strong grip for someone so tiny.

"Come on, let's sneak in the back door of the locker room, get changed, and hide in the library until next period." She grinned evilly. Alice did the majority of the talking for the rest of the period. She was a little more perky than I was used to, but I really liked her. Luckily for me, we had last-period English together. This was the one class I was excited about after the reading list was handed out and I gushed about the books I wanted to read to Alice on our way out of the building after school.

Alice didn't share my enthusiasm for the class material, but she listened patiently. I was a little surprised that someone who seemed to enjoy talking so much was such a good listener.

"Rosalie's car is this way." Alice put her hand on my arm to guide me.

I looked at her in surprise. "You know Rosalie?"

She laughed. "Our boyfriends are friends, so we spend a lot of time together." Now that she said it, I realized that Alice had been one of the people at Rosalie's lunch table. This didn't surprise me, as Alice was one of the best-dressed people I had ever seen. Luckily I had met her in gym clothes, or I might have been intimidated by her before I got to know her. She dropped me off at Rosalie's car, where Jessica was already waiting.

I asked Jessica where Rosalie was and Alice laughed. "She's with Emmett. They might be awhile. You can ride with my boyfriend and I if you want, Bella."

"Bella is fine waiting here with me," Jessica snapped.

"Whatever. Bye, Bella. I'll see you tomorrow. Jessica," Alice gave her a little wave, but Jessica completely ignored her.

I turned to my stepsister, wondering how she could be so rude to someone as nice as Alice. "What was that all about?"

"Tell me you're not hanging out with her, Bella!"

"She's in a couple of my classes. She's really nice, Jess." I felt the need to defend myself and Alice.

"You should stay away from her, Bella. She's bad news."

I rolled my eyes. "I thought the Cullens were bad news."

"Alice hangs out with the Cullens. I heard her boyfriend is a drug dealer."

"Whatever." I got into the car, pulled out my book and read until Rosalie turned up. She gave me a speculative look, but didn't say anything, then we were on our way home. Since it was the first day, I didn't have any homework. I plugged myself into my I-Pod and read until Jessica shook me and told me it was time for dinner. Family dinner time was new and unfamiliar to me and my mom. Rosalie seemed like she wanted to be anywhere else. John asked all of us about our day and Jessica took over the conversation for nearly twenty minutes while the rest of us cleared our plates.

"Did you make any new friends, Bella?" my mother asked, causing me to jump.

Jessica jumped in before I could answer. "She met Alice Brandon, but don't worry, Daddy, I warned her about the Cullens." She smiled sweetly at her father. Rosalie glared at her sister.

"That girl runs with a bad crowd, Bella. You'd be better off if you make some different friends," John informed me, eying his older daughter as he spoke. Rosalie's expression grew even angrier. "Jessica can introduce you to some lovely young people who do wonderful things for our church." He smiled indulgently at Jessica and she simpered back.

"Yeah, right," I mumbled, trying to be as vague as possible. I turned to my mother. "Can I be excused?"

"Listen to those manners!" John exclaimed, shooting another look at Rosalie. Without a word, she jumped up from the table, stomping into the kitchen with her plate. I quickly followed after her, wanting to avoid the awkward scene. We put our dishes into the dishwasher in silence. I was avoiding her eyes, feeling bad for how her father treated her.

I returned to my room and went back to my book. The next two years were going to be very long.


	2. Chapter 2

The drive to school the next day was silent for Rosalie and I and full of Jessica's chatter. When we got to school, Rosalie couldn't get away from us fast enough. Jessica latched onto my arm and dragged me to where Mike, Tyler, and Lauren were congregating by the door. I awkwardly excused myself, mumbling about needing to go to the library. Before I could get away, Mike said that he needed to go to the library too.

I was silent as we walked through the halls together, but Mike didn't seem to notice. He was just as good at inane conversation as Jessica. When we reached the library, he headed toward the magazine section and I darted in the opposite direction, hiding out in the shelves until the first bell rang. The morning dragged by, but I was able to visit with Angela a little. Fortunately, I had been right in my initial assessment of her, and I really enjoyed our discussion of our summer reading lists. I secretly wondered why she hung out with Jessica.

At lunch, I made my way through the line quickly. I kept my head down so I no one could catch my eye and bolted for the library, where I stayed until Biology. Edward Cullen was the last person in class, arriving just as the bell rang. As he took his seat, he looked right at me and grinned crookedly. I could feel my face heat up and I hid behind my hair. Again, I peeked at him periodically as Mr. Banner lectured, but today, every time I looked at him, he was looking back. When the bell rang, he remained in his seat, blocking my exit. "Hi. I'm Edward Cullen. You're Bella, right?"

He held out his hand to me.

I nodded and took his hand, surprised at the jolt that shot through me. "Nice to meet you," he purred. "Can I walk you to Gym?"

I peered at him questioningly, shocked that he not only knew my name but my next class as well. He laughed, "I need to tell Alice something."

"Okay," I whispered and got up to follow him, praying that I didn't trip over my own feet. I managed to walk without any accidents. He didn't say anything else to me, but he seemed comfortable with the silence. I was too caught up in my thoughts to speak.

Alice was waiting by the door to the gym. Edward nodded at her and said, "Later, Bella," then he strolled away. I frowned in confusion. "I thought he had something to tell you." Alice laughed.

"I didn't see you at lunch today. Where did you sit?" she asked as we made our way into the locker room.

I ducked my head and she narrowed her eyes at me. "Bella, where were you?"

"Library," I mumbled.

"You didn't want to sit with Jessica and her friends?" I shook my head. Alice bounced excitedly. "You'll sit with us tomorrow." It wasn't a question.

"That's okay. The librar-"

Alice cut me off. "You'll sit with us tomorrow." Her voice was more firm this time. I nodded our agreement.

Alice and I tried to hang back as much as possible in Gym. She giggled at my snarky comments about my physical ineptitude. She thought it was too soon to attempt another escape to the nurse. I decided that a twisted ankle was in my near future.

We sat together in English and walked out of school arm in arm. She insisted that I ride home with her so I could meet her boyfriend, claiming that she had already cleared it with Rosalie and Rosalie would let our parents know I was having dinner at her house. Alice was somewhat pushy, but I couldn't seem to mind it. Her boyfriend Jasper was another one of the beautiful people, but very laid back and down-to-earth, much more placid than I expected of someone dating Alice. He seemed to have a calming influence on her, which was great in my book.

Jasper dropped us off at Alice's house, claiming he had to meet up with the guys. I wondered if Edward was one of those guys. Alice and I worked on our small amount of homework, then worked together to make dinner. Alice's mom was a single mom and worked long hours as a nurse, so Alice was usually the one who did the cooking. Her mom arrived just as we were done cooking. Mary was a grown-up version of Alice, bubbly and warm. It had been a long time since I had laughed so much. After I helped clean up, Mary drove me home.

My mom and John were sitting in the living room. John had a sour look on his face, but Mom threw him a disapproving glare as she asked me if I'd had fun. I nodded and told her I'd finished my homework at Alice's, which Mom said was great. John started to say something, but Mom threw him another look.

In our room, Jessica was shooting me disapproving looks, but I ignored her and logged into Facebook on my laptop. Alice had sent me a friend request, which I accepted. I was also mentioned in her status update. I smiled, then logged onto my fanfiction profile. Three updates! I read through my favorite stories, then added a little to the story I was currently working on. My latest chapter was almost ready to be sent to my beta.

The next day drew way more attention to me then I'd ever wanted as Alice met me in the parking lot before school. I received more disapproving looks from Jessica and her friends, both then and at lunch time as I followed Alice to her table. So many people were staring at me. I got the impression that new people weren't invited to sit at this table very often. Rosalie didn't say anything to me but her boyfriend turned out to be warm and hilarious. Jasper was also very welcoming. I tried to concentrate on Emmett and Alice's humorous banter, but the entire lunch period I was working hard trying not to stare at Edward. When I excused myself to dump my tray, he followed me and walked next to me all the way to the Biology room, not saying anything. He grinned at me as we took our seats. For that day's experiment, he surprised me with how quickly he came up with the answers. He looked doubtful when I fired my answers back just as quickly, and I raised an eyebrow daring him to challenge me. After checking a few of my answers and finding them accurate, he gave a mock bow and grinned at me. I grinned back just as the bell rang.

"Come on, Bella. Time for Gym. Try not to hurt anyone today." He smirked at me.

I huffed and tried to be offended, but he wasn't wrong. I'd been able to hold my own against him so well in Biology, but now my palms were sweating and my tongue was tied. We walked in silence again until he passed me off to Alice. "Keep an eye on her today," he joked. Alice gave him a mock salute.

Gym was abysmal as usual. After school, Alice left me at Rosalie's car with a stormy looking Jessica. She simmered silently on the way home, then exploded at me when we reached our bedroom. She spent half an hour lecturing me on how I was going to get myself in trouble if I continued the way I was going. I nodded, not agreeing but trying to pacify her. I got the same lecture from John at dinner. Mom didn't look happy with him, but she also didn't say anything. After dinner, I texted Alice about what had happened that night. She was sympathetic and agreed that I probably shouldn't sit with her at lunch anymore. I insisted that I still wanted to be friends. She was glad about that, but decided that we would be more discrete in the future.

The next day, I followed Jessica to meet up with her friends before school. Rosalie looked at me as she passed with Emmett in a way that almost seemed pitying. I ate lunch in the library for the rest of the week, still hanging out with Alice in the classes we had together, but spending the rest of my time with someone that was Jessica-approved. Fortunately, I saw Angela a lot. It was becoming very difficult to be pleasant to Jessica and her friends, but I didn't want to make waves at home so I did my best to grin and bear it.

I spent most of the weekend working on homework, writing and reading. I went to Jessica's Saturday afternoon Bible study and church on Sunday, hanging toward the back and sticking close to Angela. The next week continued in the same pattern, but I spent two evenings at Alice's house, telling my mom I was working on homework with a friend. I didn't mention a name and she didn't ask. She fielded any questions John might have had.

On Thursday Alice invited me to a bonfire at First Beach. I was unsure about whether I would be allowed to go, but when Alice mentioned that Edward had asked her to invite me, I decided I would find a way to be there no matter what. Edward had been friendly during Biology but didn't go out of his way to talk to me, so I wasn't sure where we stood. I was excited to get to see him outside of school. The plan was that I would ride with Rosalie to Emmett's where everyone was meeting up.

That night, I made sure to get my mom alone when I asked her if I could go to the party. She asked a few questions, but she seemed excited for me. Before she could say yes, John walked into the room and asked what we were talking about. Mom filled him in, and he immediately said no. Normally I wouldn't put up a fuss, but this time I wasn't taking it lying down. "You can't tell me no if Rosalie gets to go!" I shouted.

John seemed taken aback by my outburst. He called Rosalie downstairs and asked about the party. She rolled her eyes and answered his questions begrudgingly. She seemed to be daring him with her eyes to argue with her. I had no doubt that she would win. Then Mom piped in with, "John, we need to be fair to the girls. I'm sure Rosalie will keep an eye on Bella and make sure she stays out of trouble."

Rosalie agreed more enthusiastically than I expected. John couldn't argue with all four of us. I was going to the party!


	3. Chapter 3

Fortunately, Jessica was so disappointed in my decision to go to Alice's party that she avoided me the entire next day. This was good because I was so nervous and jumpy, I wouldn't have been able to plaster on my typical fake smile. In Biology, Edward noticed something was wrong and gave me a wide berth. Intuitive Alice also knew something was up and she pestered me until I finally admitted that I had no idea what to wear and I was sure my somewhat nerdy, overly casual wardrobe wouldn't cut it. Alice said that she would consult with Rosalie and make sure that I had a suitable outfit before it was time to leave. Rosalie would be on hair and make-up duty. I tried to argue that Rosalie had much better things to do, but Alice insisted.

I walked out of school with Alice as usual but today, she took an oddly long route to Rosalie's car. Before I caught on to her plan, we were passing Emmett's behemoth Jeep. Emmett boomed a hello at us and Edward gave me a small wave, saying, "I'll see you later, Bella." I turned bright red and made a choking sound as a response. Alice dragged me away before I could embarrass myself any further.

The tension was thick on the ride home, but I was too excited to pay any attention to Jessica. Rosalie dropped us off at home, then sped off. I tried to relax with a book, but I couldn't stop watching the clock. After dinner, Rosalie returned home and gave me my Alice-approved wardrobe. She told me to meet her in her room in five minutes. The outfit from Alice included a really cute shirt and a jean skirt that was far too short. Luckily she had also included leggings and flats.

Rosalie's room really suited her and was decorated like I would decorate my room if I didn't have to share with the poster nazi. I shyly told her I liked her room, then asked about the car posters and calendars. As she started to curl my hair, Rosalie told me how her mother's father had taught her everything she knew about cars. Emmett owned a run-down classic Mustang and she was helping him restore it. She talked with animation that I hadn't known she was capable of, and I didn't even notice when she moved on to do my make-up. She announced that I was finished and I turned to the mirror. I didn't recognize myself. The new me had shiny, soft curls and smoky eyes. I turned to Rosalie in silent awe and she grinned at me. We made our way downstairs, where Mom told us to have fun and John glowered. "Be home by midnight!" he growled.

Rosalie started to huff, but Mom jumped in. "Bella, Alice's mother called earlier and said that you girls would be staying at her house after the party is over. If you want to spend the day with Alice tomorrow, call and let me know, okay?"

I nodded and Mom ignored John's spluttering. Rosalie blinked at my mother in surprise, so I grabbed her arm and hauled her out the door before anything else could be said.

The drive to the Cullen house was longer than I expected. We were headed in the direction I took when I visited my dad, and we had almost made it to Forks when Rosalie turned off the main highway onto a side road surrounded by trees and nothing else. After a few minutes of nothing, we turned up a gravel drive and continued on for a few more minutes of nothing. Suddenly the trees parted and the largest house I had ever seen appeared. It was almost entirely windows and you could see inside quite clearly.

I stumbled behind Rosalie into the house. She had been here many times and entered without knocking. Jasper, Alice, and Emmett were assembled in the living room. Emmett's parents welcomed us warmly. They were both very good-looking and quite a bit younger than I expected.

Rosalie asked when we would be leaving, and Emmett replied, "His highness has yet to grace us with his presence. He hasn't achieved that "just rolled out of bed" look yet." Everyone chuckled. He turned and shouted up the stairs. "Yo Edward! Get your ass in gear! The ladies are here!" He waggled his eyebrows at us.

Edward thundered down the stairs, looking better than ever. His eyes immediately found mine and he smirked at me. I dropped my eyes shyly, following everyone out the back door to the garage.

Alice, of course, took charge. "Jazzy and I will ride with Emmett and Rose. Bella, are you okay with Edward?"

My eyes shot up and I gaped at her as Edward grabbed my hand. He towed me across the room and handed me something. A helmet. For his motorcycle. On which I would be riding behind him, my entire body plastered to his. My heart began to race.


End file.
